AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas lawmakers are into their third month of the state's 89th Legislative Session, which means a lot of work for their staff. Chloe Wilkinson, a legislative aide for a House representative, works at the Texas Capitol tracking and researching bills relevant to her legislator's c onstituents and committees. 2025 is Wilkinson's first legislative session; previously, she worked on electoral campaigns in Tennessee and Texas. "As it relates to Texas politics, I've really spent a lot of time on the local level...dealing with local campaigns," she said. She calls the Capitol hallway where she works "a really positive community on the day-to-day basis." "People ask you how you're doing. People check in on you," she said. "Obviously, there are bad days...but I think a lot of us try to focus on that sense of community." Wilkinson is one of a handful of transgender Texans in the Capitol. Mo Jenkins, another transgender woman who works as a House staffer, told The Texas Tribune that some of the most vocally anti-trans lawmakers are still friendly towards her. “It's very ironic in a way, to watch members essentially say that you're not human and deserve to not have health care and not exist in public, to them then wishing you a happy birthday and clapping you on your back, or coming to your office and eating your gumbo,” said Jenkins to Texas Tribune reporter Ayden Runnels. The Texas Legislature is considering at least 80 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this session, approximately 15.2% of such bills across the U.S., according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Restroom access restricted On Feb. 27, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick posted on social media about how a transgender woman complimented a legislative staffer on her hair, while both were in a women's restroom. "We will follow that rule in all Capitol bathrooms," wrote Patrick about sex-segregated restrooms. "President Trump issued an executive order stating that there are two sexes in America: male and female. We've known that in Texas for a long time, and I'm glad we finally have a president who recognizes that." Texas law doesn't restrict transgender people's restroom use, but legislators continue to file multiple such bills each session. The last serious effort to pass a ban was in 2017 when Abbott called a special legislative session on the issue. Texas House majority signs on to bill restricting transgender people's public restroom use Texas House representatives also introduced a set of rules to restrict restroom use in the Capitol based on sex assigned at birth, but only after the chamber had already passed its rules of procedure for the session. However, the State Preservation Board, responsible for the maintenance of the Texas Capitol Grounds, recently implemented a policy banning transgender people from using restrooms coherent with their gender identity and presentation. "All restrooms are clearly designated as 'Men’s,' 'Women’s,' or 'Family Care,'" the policy reads. "An individual is expected to use the appropriate restroom corresponding with his or her biological sex." SPB's decisions are made by Gov. Greg Abbott, Patrick, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, Republican Senator Charles Schwertner, Republican Rep. Charlie Geren and Abbott-appointee Alethea Swann Bugg, according to its website. "Trans people cannot use the restroom that they feel comfortable in in this building," Wilkinson said. "For some people, that means having to go all the way from the fourth floor down to the extension, and that's taking a lot of time out of their day and a lot of effort to do so." 'Not going to stop me' KXAN extended Wilkinson an offer of anonymity for this story, on account of the political climate around transgender life, which she declined. "Anything that they could say in this building, I have heard worse from people outside of this building. It's not going to stop me from working," she said. For staffers like Wilkinson and Jenkins, their work is a contribution to American democracy. “I really believe in public service, and so for me, I'm willing to make the sacrifices if it means that I can make anybody's life better,” said Jenkins to The Texas Tribune. "I do care deeply about the future of this country. I know that a lot of people in this building care deeply about the future of this country," Wilkinson said. "I'm not going to be scared off just over people telling me where I have to use the bathroom. Is it upsetting? Is it sometimes challenging? Yes, but at the end of the day, we're just here to do a job and that's what I want to do." ...read more read less